TechSpot | Tech Enthusiasts, Power Users, Gamers

Headline
Full

Gamers Are Wrong About 1440p vs 1080p CPU Benchmarking

FEATURE By Steven Walton, May 12, 2026, 5:08 AM TechSpot Hardware

Here We Go Again, or: Why GPU Bottlenecks Hide True CPU Performance.
Gamers keep demanding 1440p CPU benchmarks, but higher resolutions often hide the very performance differences CPU testing is supposed to reveal. Here's why 1080p still matters most.

Gaming Software

The fight to stop publishers from bricking your games and shutting down servers just got a powerful new enemy

Stop Killing Games is winning hearts in Europe – and enemies in Washington

By Daniel Sims, May 11, 2026, 9:22 PM 7 comments

Hardware Gaming

Steam Machine may launch soon as reservation system and four retail packages surface

The reservation system is intended to prevent scalping

By Kishalaya Kundu, May 11, 2026, 2:41 PM 9 comments

Tech Deals Software

Microsoft Office is down to $29 for a lifetime license

TL;DR: If you're looking for a powerful productivity suite without paying for any monthly subscriptions, Office 2021 is now available for just $29. All the essentials you need for work or personal projects at 80% off the regular price.

Full story By TechSpot Deals

Electronics Tech Culture

UK firefighters respond to a lithium-ion battery fire every five hours, data reveals

Poorly retrofitted ebikes are the worst offenders

By Shawn Knight, May 11, 2026, 1:58 PM 18 comments

The Web

The quiet reinvention of search in the age of AI

How APIs and developer tools are quietly reshaping the way search works

NASA's next Mars helicopters tested beyond the speed of sound

Flying in the thin atmosphere of Mars is "just about the hardest thing you can do"

By Alfonso Maruccia, May 11, 2026, 1:15 PM

Download of the Week Software

Winhanced aims to make Windows gaming PCs feel more like a console

Winhanced gives Windows gaming PCs a cleaner, more console-like experience by combining launchers, controller navigation, and system tools into one streamlined interface. Originally built for handhelds, it's also gaining traction on desktop and living room setups as an alternative to juggling Steam Big Picture, Xbox, and multiple launchers.

By Ivan Franco, May 11, 2026, 12:20 PM

Security Software

Newly disclosed "Dirty Frag" vulnerability left Linux exposed for nearly a decade

Another massive support headache for the Linux world

Facepalm: The open-source community is once again facing a major security incident tied to an "unprecedented" vulnerability. The new flaw could give attackers a reliable way to escalate user privileges, and no patch is available yet. Fortunately, the mitigation process is relatively straightforward. Still, kernel developers are already growing frustrated with the seemingly endless stream of critical bugs.

Full story By Alfonso Maruccia, May 11, 2026, 11:17 AM 7 comments

Gaming Software

Forza Horizon 6 leaks online a week before launch, Microsoft starts banning players

Microsoft's biggest racing game in years has already been cracked and shared online

Oops: The sixth game in the popular Forza Horizon racing series has leaked online more than a week before its official launch date. The racer is due out on May 19 for the general public and May 15 for buyers of the premium edition but according to reports, the game has been cracked and is readily available online for PC if you know where to look.

Full story By Shawn Knight, May 11, 2026, 10:36 AM 26 comments

Tech Deals Microsoft

For a limited time, grab Windows 11 Pro for just $8

Unbeatable deal

By TechSpot Deals

Hardware Electronics

Fake DDR5 sticks with dummy plastic chips are the latest RAM scam

The fake modules are another symptom of soaring DDR5 prices

By Rob Thubron, May 11, 2026, 9:53 AM

Security The Web

Europe is moving to block Microsoft, Amazon, and Google from handling government health, financial, and legal data

The latest move in a widening standoff over who controls Europe's digital infrastructure – but private companies are exempt

By Alfonso Maruccia, May 11, 2026, 9:14 AM 12 comments

Tech Culture The Web

Anthropic says Claude learned to blackmail people from "evil" AI stories online

Elon Musk accepts some of the blame

By Rob Thubron, May 11, 2026, 8:39 AM

AI Hardware

Ukraine is testing an AI-guided laser weapon that can destroy drones in seconds

New footage shows the trailer-mounted Tryzub platform tracking and disabling aerial targets with AI-assisted precision

By Skye Jacobs, May 11, 2026, 7:51 AM 11 comments

Mobile Security

Say goodbye to burner phones? FCC robocall plan raises privacy fears

Carriers could be forced to collect government ID and other personal data before activating service

By Rob Thubron, May 11, 2026, 7:03 AM 14 comments

Industry The Web

A data center used 29 million gallons of water without a bill, while residents complained about low water pressure

The county issued a $147,474 back-bill and waived all penalties

By Skye Jacobs, May 11, 2026, 6:15 AM 23 comments

How Apple Pay Works: The Tech Behind

FEATURE By David Matthews, May 11, 2026, 5:21 AM TechSpot Tech Culture

Apple Pay makes contactless payments feel effortless, but behind that two-second tap is a surprisingly sophisticated chain of cryptography, tokenization, and real-time authorization.

Software Gaming

Former Epic director and Guerrilla Games co-founder is building a European game engine to rival Unreal and Unity

Arjan Brussee argues a new engine built for AI workflows could let a small team do the work of 15

By Skye Jacobs, May 10, 2026, 11:38 AM 25 comments

Security Software

A cyberattack on Canvas knocked out access for students at Harvard, Columbia, and hundreds of other schools during finals

The breach is a case study in how a single platform compromise can take down an entire sector at once

By Skye Jacobs, May 10, 2026, 10:01 AM

Hardware Industry

Intel roadmap leak reveals Nova Lake, Razor Lake, Titan Lake, and Moon Lake through 2028 with Nvidia RTX GPU tile integration

Nova Lake comes first with 52 cores on TSMC's N2 node

By Daniel Sims, May 9, 2026, 11:34 AM 19 comments

Wearable Tech Google

Google's Fitbit Air is a Whoop-like screen-less fitness tracker built around AI

The minimalist device tracks sleep, heart rate, and activity while Google Health and Gemini handle the analysis

By Skye Jacobs, May 9, 2026, 10:40 AM

Security Electronics

Your Yarbo lawnmower is a backdoor into your Wi-Fi network

A security researcher found that every Yarbo robot ships with a backdoor that exposes your Wi-Fi password in plain text

By Daniel Sims, May 9, 2026, 9:48 AM 16 comments

Apple Industry

Apple and Intel are reportedly working on a chip manufacturing deal

TSMC capacity is tightening under AI demand – and the US government has been quietly pushing Apple toward Intel for months

By Skye Jacobs, May 9, 2026, 9:00 AM

Weekend Open Forum Tech Culture

How often do you upgrade your PC?

Rising prices and slower performance gains are reshaping the enthusiast upgrade cycle

By Julio Franco, May 8, 2026, 6:17 PM 83 comments

Gaming Tech Culture

Diablo IV players finally discover the game's secret cow level

Gaming Bull: Diablo's cow level is one of the most well-known Easter eggs in gaming history, an urban legend that was eventually turned into an actual in-game area in Diablo II. Now, a truly dedicated player has reportedly discovered a cow level that Blizzard developers had been hiding in Diablo IV for three years.

Full story By Alfonso Maruccia, May 8, 2026, 2:02 PM 14 comments

Apple Hardware

Apple is reportedly working on a holographic iPhone, an AI pendent, and AirPods Pro with AI cameras

The pendant and AirPods Pro have both reached advanced testing, and could launch as soon as next year

By Kishalaya Kundu, May 8, 2026, 12:39 PM

Gaming Electronics

The Nintendo Switch 2 is getting a $50 price hike in September

Welcome to the new normal

By Shawn Knight, May 8, 2026, 11:56 AM 9 comments

Security Industry

Kaspersky warns that passwords hashed with MD5 algorithm can be cracked in minutes using a GPU

Moving away from insecure passwords is now a critical priority

By Alfonso Maruccia, May 8, 2026, 11:17 AM

Industry AI

Michigan residents voted down a $16 billion Stargate AI data center, then construction began anyway

At least 19 Michigan municipalities have moved to pause new data center projects

By Rob Thubron, May 8, 2026, 10:08 AM 31 comments

Microsoft Software

Microsoft is adding a feature that briefly maxes out your CPU to make Windows feel snappier

Low Latency Profile early numbers are promising: 40% faster app launches, 70% snappier menus

Cutting corners: Microsoft has a giant Windows problem, but developers are reportedly hard at work to significantly improve the operating system in critical areas, tackling things like overall responsiveness and CPU utilization. New details have emerged about one of those changes.

Full story By Alfonso Maruccia, May 8, 2026, 9:40 AM 24 comments

Download of the Week Software

ValiDrive helps detect fake USB drives and storage devices

ValiDrive is a free utility that checks whether USB drives, memory cards, SSDs, and other storage actually provide their advertised capacity. Designed to spot counterfeit or faulty drives with inflated storage claims, it can also identify potential read/write problems and give a quick look at transfer performance.

By Ivan Franco, May 8, 2026, 8:44 AM